Forget those remote control cars that just scoot across the ground! These Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro cars moves in three dimensions -- across the ground, up the wall, and even upside down on the ceiling! By using a specially designed suction device, the car can climb a wall and maneuver just as it does on the ground.
Air Hogs lets you control a car along the ground and up walls. (red sports car version shown) View larger. |
Use the remote to charge the car's built-in battery. (red sports car version shown) View larger. |
 | What We Think
Fun Factor: 
Durability:
(what this means)
The Good: Car can drive up walls; includes rechargeable battery
The Bad: Car is a bit fragile; slightly loud; limited wireless range
In a Nutshell: Car can do everything it advertises, but all the conditions must be met | At a Glance
Ages: 8 and up
Requires: 6 AA batteries for remote, clean surface
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Smart, Innovative Design
Air Hogs makes the only cars that can climb walls, and the Zero Gravity Micro is smaller and faster than the original Air Hogs Zero Gravity Humvee. We were surprised by how small and light the Zero Gravity Micro is; it is basically a thin plastic shell wrapped around a light body with a vacuum in it. Our car was designed to look like a red race car, but you can choose from other designs available as well. We were able to get the Zero Gravity Micro up and running without any problems. The remote control unit needs six AA batteries (not included), and is then used to charge the built-in rechargeable battery in the car. This is done by connecting a cable from the remote control to the car, and flipping the switch to charge mode. Thanks to smart design, this cable can be stowed and hidden away when not being used.
After about half an hour for charging, the car was ready to go. Right away, we set the car to wall climbing mode and set it on our wall. Though we'd read about what it was supposed to do, we were still very impressed when we saw the car stick to the wall and climb. You can see the vacuum working, as there is a window on the top of the car showing a spinning fan. The car makes quite a bit of sound when it is in wall mode.
Using the remote, we were able to make the car go up, turn left and right, and go down as well. With a tight turning radius, the car is very maneuverable and with some practice, you can get the car to do exactly as you wish. In addition to Wall mode, there is also a Ground mode which leaves the fan/vacuum off, and lets you drive full function on the ground. You need to walk around with the car, however, as the remote has limited range. This is not as big a concern on walls because we were usually pretty close to the wall as the car was climbing it.
The car has working headlights that double as a battery indicator--when they start to blink, the car is running low on power.
Needs Clean, Smooth Surface
The instructions warn that the car should be played only on a clean, smooth surface, and they're not kidding. Since the car is able to stay on walls due to suction, the moment an inconsistency is introduced, the car loses suction and falls off. We found that a surface like glass works very well. With our concrete wall, we often ran into problems with the car maintaining its suction. Coupled with the car's light construction, we fear that repeated abuse could cause damage to it.
Overall, we found the Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro to be an innovative and fun toy. We wished it were a bit more hefty and could work on more surfaces, but when we got it going on our window, we were very impressed. It's a great new idea and twist on an old toy, and is bound to keep children mesmerized.
What's in the Box
AirHogs car, remote control unit, instructions.
